A routine flight in the Democratic Republic of Congo turned deadly when a crocodile escaped from a passenger's duffle bag. According to the flight's sole human survivor, panicking passengers fled into the cockpit and caused the pilot to lose control.

The first reports of the crash speculated that the plane had run out of fuel and "couldn't make a proper landing," but the apparent truth is far more bizarre. It seems that one of the private flight's passengers was smuggling a crocodile in his carry-on and lost track of the animal:

The terrified air hostess hurried towards the cockpit, followed by the passengers. The plane then became unstable, despite the desperate efforts of the pilot.

20 people died as a result of the crash. The crocodile did survive, but was executed with a machete. [MSNBC]